Public Broadcasting Service

News about Public Broadcasting Service, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Jun. 26, 2015

Investigation by PBS finds that Ben Affleck exerted improper influence over editorial process concerning his appearance on Finding Your Roots, series hosted by scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr that traces ancestry of celebrities; hacked Sony emails released by WikiLeaks showed that Affleck pressured Gates to remove interview segment concerning a slave-owning ancestor, and that Gates appeared to acquiesce. MORE

Jun. 25, 2015

PBS is postponing future season of television series Finding Your Roots, in wake of probe revealing that actor Ben Affleck had pressured producers into omitting details about an ancestor of his who owned slaves. MORE

May. 14, 2015

David Fanning is stepping down as founding executive producer of PBS documentary series Frontline at end of May; he will be replaced by Raney Aronson; leadership change is first in Frontline's 32-year history. MORE

Apr. 7, 2015

Op-Ed article by television producer Norman Lear criticizes PBS for focusing on revenue-generating dramatic programming at expense of documentaries representing its public mission; notes PBS is threatening again to move documentary programs POV and Independent Lens to less desirable time slot; urges broadcaster to remain true to goals of expanding national dialogue on critical issues by keeping such shows in prime time. MORE

Nov. 10, 2014

PBS plans to stream live coverage of three days of Miami Dade College's Miami Book Fair International in November, and will make a video available later on demand. MORE

Nov. 7, 2014

PBS says it has secured deal for sixth season of television series Downton Abbey. MORE

Nov. 3, 2014

PBS's Masterpiece, 43-year-old English drama franchise, is capitalizing on the runaway success of Downton Abbey by adding new shows and at least 20 hours airtime in early 2015. MORE

Aug. 1, 2014

Sara Just, Washington deputy bureau chief for ABC News, is named executive producer of PBS NewsHour; is first major change to the program since it was acquired by the public broadcaster WETA in July. MORE

Jun. 18, 2014

PBS plans to begin broadcasting and streaming half-hour version of Sesame Street; move is nod to realities of increased mobile and online viewing and heightened competition for preschool viewers; traditional hourlong version will continue to be broadcast in its morning time slot. MORE

Jun. 16, 2014

Public television officials warn that Federal Communications Commission's planned auction of wireless spectrum could leave parts of country without over-the-air access to public television; auction is intended to free airwaves for use by wireless broadband companies. MORE

May. 12, 2014

Media Decoder blog; PBS and its local stations are creating a streaming video service that will be available only to members of local PBS stations. MORE

May. 6, 2014

Advertising column; PBS, for first time, presents slate of planned online video programming to advertisers at Digital Content NewFronts, but says it will remain wary of excessive commercialization on the web. MORE

Apr. 21, 2014

John S and James L Knight Foundation plans to give $250,000 grant to PBS series How We Got to Now to create website aimed at encouraging idea-sharing among civic leaders, urban planners, designers and others. MORE

Dec. 3, 2013

United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upholds federal ban on political advertising on public television and radio stations, narrowly rejecting an argument that it violated the First Amendment. MORE

Oct. 10, 2013

Richard Sandomir TV Sports column holds that ESPN's controversial decision to pull its name and logo from Frontline documentary League of Denial, about the National Football League's handling of concussions, resulted in viewership boost for the PBS program. MORE

Jun. 14, 2013

Major layoffs and cutbacks at PBS NewsHour have exposed tension at the long-running news program, with some calling for a major overhaul. MORE

Jun. 10, 2013

Spanish-language version of Frontline film Rape in the Fields will be broadcast on Univision in joint project with PBS; venture will be first time Frontline has shared film premier with another American broadcaster as it aims to reach new viewers and produce more in-depth reports amid tight financial constraints. MORE

May. 27, 2013

Media Decoder; New York PBS station WNET is straying from its tradtional advertising style by promoting five ridiculous reality series that do not actually exist; goal of campaign is to encourage people to join public television station as it celebrates its 50th anniversary. MORE

May. 20, 2013

Media Decoder blog; Charlie Rose is set to host half-hour prime-time PBS program, called Charlie Rose Weekend; show will cull best of his popular late-night program, and feature original interviews touching on politics, science, business, culture, media and sports. MORE

Mar. 31, 2013

Reruns of “Martha Bakes” will follow new episodes of “Martha Stewart’s Cooking School.” MORE

Mar. 4, 2013

PBS nears decision on adding weekend broadcast of PBS NewsHour; program will air for half-hour on Saturdays and Sundays, and be filmed in New York instead of program's longtime studios in Arlington, Va. MORE

Feb. 19, 2013

Mike Hale Critic's Notebook column comments on PBS's week-long programming package After Newtown, in which several existing shows and documentaries focus on issue of gun control. MORE

Dec. 17, 2012

Preschool cable network Nick Jr and PBS are developing educational and promotional apps, attempting to tap new market as more parents put mobile devices into their children's hands. MORE

Nov. 19, 2012

Ratings and ad revenue have steadily increased at PBS Kids Sprout, preschooler-oriented network that has been picked up by a growing number of cable providers. MORE

Oct. 12, 2012

Political jousting between Mitt Romney and Pres Obama over Romney's pledge to cut PBS funding has brought new attention to the public financing of television and radio, turning it into an unexpected election issue. MORE

Oct. 6, 2012

Charles M Blow Op-Ed column holds Mitt Romney insulted a national treasure when he threatened to cut funding for PBS during the first presidential debate; says Romney was particularly foolish to target beloved Sesame Street character Big Bird. MORE

Apr. 26, 2012

National Endowment for the Arts cuts its support for established PBS shows, and for the first time awards significant grants to an array of gaming, mobile and Web-based projects. MORE

Apr. 10, 2012

National Endowment for the Arts proposes stripping more than $1 million in federal production aid from several PBS shows, many of which are already hard-pressed for financing. MORE

Mar. 19, 2012

PBS film series Independent Lens, since being moved to several time slots from its Tuesday night position, has lost 39 percent of its average audience for new episodes this season. MORE

Jan. 2, 2012

Public Broadcasting Service, in effort to freshen its image and lift revenue, is aiming at viewers more attuned to pay channels like HBO and Showtime; success of British drama Downton Abbey is prompting PBS to spruce up its prime-time lineup. MORE

Nov. 28, 2011

PBS introduces new channel PBS UK in Britain, its first international television venture; it hopes to make a name for itself by offering sober antidote to tales of tabloid newspaper excesses that have been in news. MORE

Oct. 9, 2011

PBS Arts Fall Festival will showcase several arts-related programs under a single umbrella over a period of nine weeks; series is network's attempt to remind viewers of its ambitions in arts programming. MORE